


How Divas Dance the Tango

by misura



Category: Deathstalker Series - Simon R. Green
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-19
Updated: 2013-02-19
Packaged: 2017-12-04 05:11:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/706939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jesamine deals with the love triangle (and possibly saves the universe).</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Divas Dance the Tango

There probably weren't a lot of people who wouldn't have been happy to walk into their bedroom to find Jesamine Flowers reclining on their bed. In fact, Douglas reflected sourly, seeing as how Jesamine wasn't so much as wearing a single scrap of clothing whatsoever, most people would have been downright delighted to have been in his position.

And a part of Douglas _did_ feel pretty delighted. Why not? He'd fallen in love with Jesamine at their first meeting, and now here she was, making it fairly obvious she didn't exactly dislike him, either.

Too bad that wasn't the only thing she was making fairly obvious here.

"Darling, I - "

"What's _he_ doing here?" Douglas snapped. He took a vicious pleasure in seeing Lewis wince.

Unlike Jesamine, Lewis was still fully dressed - and not looking like he'd ever _not_ been during the time he and Jesamine had spent waiting. A small blessing, under the circumstances.

"Trust me, this wasn't my idea," Lewis said, looking uncomfortable as hell. Douglas liked that, too. He knew it might be petty of him, but he couldn't help himself. Love did that to people - or so he'd heard. Until he'd met Jesamine, he hadn't really thought it possible that he would ever actually want to punch Lewis in the face, just for looking at a woman in a certain way.

Jesamine scowled. "Oh, do show a bit of a spine, darling. Nobody _forced_ you to be here. I even let you keep all your clothes on."

Douglas decided that that right there was more than he'd ever wanted to know about the relationship between her and Lewis. He'd seen the looks, of course. The way they couldn't seem to stop sneaking glances at each other, whenever they were in the same room. It made him feel sick, and hurt.

"I told you this was a bad idea," Lewis said.

"Just out of curiosity: what _was_ the idea?" Douglas asked, partly because he was genuinely curious and partly because he was beginning to feel a little bit ignored.

"A small addition to the Royal Wedding." Jesamine smiled and stretched. Douglas made a conscious effort not to stare. "A little bit scandalous, of course, but then, this _is_ a new age. And I can guarantee you the media will be so busy falling over themselves to get an exclusive that they might actually behave themselves for at least a week."

Douglas noticed Lewis was looking at _him_ , rather than at Jesamine. Perhaps he'd already looked his fill earlier, impossible as that sounded. "What kind of addition?" Douglas was King, and Jesamine was to marry him and be his Queen. It wasn't as if there was much room for any extras there.

"A Royal Consort," Jesamine said triumphantly. "I had Anne look into it, and it's an entirely official position. Very traditional, and quite proper."

Douglas arched an eyebrow. "You don't want to be Queen?" He didn't see how Jesamine being his Consort instead of his Queen would make one bit of difference. If she thought people in general and Douglas in particular would be more accepting of her and Lewis's relationship, she was much more naive than he'd have expected someone like Jesamine Flowers to be.

Jesamine laughed. "Don't be silly, darling; of course I want to be Queen."

"Then who - " Douglas started, then realized who she was talking about. Granted, the way Lewis's face had flushed a bright red had been a bit of a giveaway, too. "No."

Lewis flinched again. Lewis had known Douglas a lot longer than Jesamine; long enough to know what it meant when Douglas was using that particular tone.

Douglas rather thought Lewis also should have known him well enough to realize that Douglas would never in a million years agree to something as mad as Jesamine was proposing.

"I think it's a splendid idea," Jesamine said, a little coldly. "Much better than any of the alternatives. Perhaps you might spend a moment considering those, Douglas."

"For one, Parliament would never go for it." Douglas knew it was the wrong argument to open with the moment the words had left his mouth. This wasn't about what Parliament might think; this was about what Douglas would feel. What people would say about him, if he did this thing.

"Silly me. I thought you were King." Jesamine smiled. It wasn't a particularly warm smile, but Douglas liked to think there was a touch of fondness in it. "And even if they do, so what? They'll get over it. Eventually. We just need to give them something else to bicker about, and soon enough, they'll forget all about poor old us."

Douglas tried, but he couldn't quite picture Jesamine Flowers ever growing old. Or poor.

"I love Lewis as a friend," Douglas said slowly, feeling his way. He didn't want this to turn into a scene, something unpleasant that would leave everyone with hurt feelings. He just wanted Lewis to keep being his best friend and Jesamine to love only him. Surely that wasn't too much to ask.

"Good," Jesamine said, and there was much more warmth in her smile this time around. "I know I probably shouldn't be saying this, all things considered, but I'm really quite possessive. I suppose I shouldn't mind as long as you don't, except, well, there you are. Nobody ever accused me of being reasonable."

"What's the alternative?" Douglas asked the one reasonably sane person in the room. "If I say no, what are you going to do?"

He half-expected Lewis to flinch again. To look away. Instead, Lewis stared him straight into the eyes and said: "Leave." As simple as that.

Douglas waited for the pain to come. Lewis, his single best friend, who he'd known for so many years was calmly telling him their friendship was worth less to him than the love of Jesamine Flowers. It should have hurt. It should have hurt a lot.

The fact that it didn't probably meant something, Douglas reflected. Maybe if he got some time to clear his head and think about things, he might be able to figure out what it was.

"I'll think about it," he said. It was all he had to offer, for the moment.

Lewis looked relieved, like he hadn't dared hope for even that much of a concession.

Jesamine pouted a little, but then she grinned. "You might be the first person ever who can say no to Jesamine Flowers when she's really quite determined to get a yes. I like that, darling. Just don't make a habit out of it - and don't take too long to think. We'll need to do a lot of extra planning."

Douglas decided not to point out there was no guarantee he'd eventually choose to accept her idea.

"Of course, I suppose that means you're going to have to make Finn your Champion after all." Jesamine sighed. "He'll be very smug, I'm sure."

"But - " Lewis started, and Douglas felt a hint of sympathy for his friend.

"The duties of a Consort are very clearly defined," Jesamine said firmly. "No time for you to go around chasing bad guys and leave me all by my lonesome self."

"Still time to change your mind about this, Lewis," Douglas said. He even managed a grin at Lewis's expression. Jesamine did have a point, he supposed; she'd want to be entertained, and Douglas would be often busy, doing the things a King did. If anyone had asked him, he'd have told them Lewis was the perfect man for the job: reliable, sensible and an excellent fighter.

Lewis shook his head. "No. I don't think so. I want this, Douglas. I want to keep on being your friend, but I also want Jesamine. I don't want to share her with anyone, not really, but if I have to, I suppose I'd rather it was with someone I liked and respected. Like you."

In spite of everything, Douglas was touched. "I suppose ... I feel the same way." Once he'd admitted that out loud, instead of just quietly, to himself, the next words followed easily enough. "So please, stay. Be our Royal Consort. Keep an eye on Finn to make sure he behaves."

"This is all going to work out marvelously," Jesamine said happily. "Now all that remains is to decide whether the two of you are wearing too many clothes, or whether I'm wearing too few."

"I'm not - " Lewis said, at the same time Douglas said: "I can't - "

Jesamine just laughed softly and then showed them that they were - and that they could, if only they wanted to.


End file.
